by Nes Lessman
Hard to believe, but I'm back here in Havana, checking out the latest international signings from the Yellow Springs Nine. Your award-winning Farm Reporter leaves no stone unturned in helping you find out if GM Rob McMonigal has found the stars of tomorrow or just overpaid for more duds.
Now I know folks say the international amateurs are not very interesting and I'll grant you that most don't make it. But future star Emilio Navarro came from there back in 2055, and while never one to brag about my own abilities, I will point you to what I wrote about him several years ago:
"Outfielder Emilio Navarro, 16, from Honduras
Navarro, who inked a deal for $750,000, feels more like a McMonigal man to me. He's a hard worker (I was sent a video of him on his 15th birthday ducking out of his special celebration to take extra batting practice in the rain!), but his tools in the outfield are a bit lacking, at least right now. But those can improve and even if they don't, DH might be in his future. Though not fully developed in the slightest, I've seen a few of those practice swings go a long ways past even the far-out fences of pitchers parks in the BBA. He'll be one to watch and is probably my pick of these picks. Which is ironic, since he signed for about 20% of what Sammeta did."
(As an aside, Sammeta is still stuck in A ball but as I noted, he is truly holding his own at shortstop. He's going to be one to keep an eye on.)
But we're not talking about the past, no matter how good it is to be validated. Let's look at what McMonigal and the Nine are hoping will be the next generation of stars to join or replace Navarro. We'll tackle them in order of their signing bonus...
SS Armando Vargas, 16, from Guatemala, $1,800,000 signing bonus.
Remember the days when the Nine gave out bonuses like this as an afterthought? We may never see the like again. Instead, this was the top deal from McMonigal. It's not a bad for a potential power-hitting shortstop who's also seen as someone who can get on base with regularity. His defense definitely needs work, though, to stick anywhere in the infield, let alone at the hardest position there. He also has some time on tape at the corner outfield positions, which might be his future. Armando is extremely private and neither he nor his family would talk to me. Their loss.
SS Tan Foong, 16, from Taiwan, $1,000,000 signing bonus.
Yup, another shortstop. Kinda like how McMonigal snagged a bunch of young catchers who are turning out to be not much of anything, like that Lien-ying Thum kid who couldn't be further from his supposedly distant relative Hunter. (I hear he's being moved to the outfield.) As if often common, the lower signing looks to be the better one to me. Foong just looks more comfortable in the dirt, moving easily from his left to his right in drills, though sometimes he relies on his strong arm a bit too much which leads to throws not even the Jolly Green Giant could reach at first. Scouts I talked to loved his potential for hitting the ball no matter where it's pitched to him, but I'm not quite as sold on that, either. Foong also refused to take an interview. Did I forget to pack my toothbrush or something?
CF Xanthus Tsigakou, 16, from Greece, $900,000 signing bonus.
Seeing a pattern here? Another player who could handle a key position in the big leagues some day, signed for about fifth round money. It might not work, but not a bad idea probably better than past years where money was shot out like a t-shirt cannon on mediocre long-shots. Not that I see Xan really going too far when I watched him practice, the young man often looked lost trying to grasp how to run up to or back for even the easiest cans of corn but who knows what he can do with time and effort. That's the rub, though. I don't see any effort from him. He'd rather be sitting in clubhouse on his phone playing "Prevent the Rainout" than playing baseball. Well, he may soon get his wish. He's got flameout written all over him, which is a shame. If Tsigakou tried, scouts tell me he's got an amazing ability to put the bat on the ball and a cannon for an arm in right.
RP Rustem Kemalettin,17, from Turkey, $250,000 signing bonus.
The only pitcher McMonigal signed this year, Rustem is a real project. He doesn't appear to do anything super-well, but he's the anti-Xan in that he works his butt off to make the best use of the limited skills given to him. Just in the time I was down here in Cuba, it felt like Kemalettin was always on a mound somewhere. He kept offering to throw batting practice, which is highly unusual for someone his age. Of course, when he did, he kinda got obliterated, but it's the thought that counts, right?
All in all, I'm not sure any of these players have a strong future in the Brewster, but they're not bad lottery tickets that utilized the Nine's allotment of funding for the purpose. And you never know who's going to be really good when they're still working on their algebra homework. I'll keep my eyes on them and as always, will inform you when there's a superstar in the making.
But uh...don't hold your breath, okay?
